BioShockhas a world that takes players out of reality and sets them up for an immersive experience. It has elements of horror, powers, and a setting that puts players back in time but somehow manages to also bring them into the future. Its gameplay is linear yet the structure that it sets for itself feels vast. The problem that players have when they finish playing it is that a lot of games don’t have that same feel to them.
This list is meant to fix that problem. Players will be able to find games that are similar to the beloved BioShock game in one way or another.
1010/10Fallout New Vegas
Fallout New Vegasdoes not have a linear story as BioShock does. What it does have is the ability to throw players into a world that’s been fully thought out in great detail. BioShock has its underwater ostentatious art deco style. Fallout New Vegas is also ostentatious but only in the actual New Vegas location which is then surrounded by the post-apocalyptic world.
The music selection is also reminiscent of that of BioShock but with songs spanning many different earlier decades rather than a select few.
99/10We Happy Few
What these two games share isn’t so much in the gameplay asWe Happy Fewhas more aspects of modern-day survival games. It is the dystopian tone and setting that BioShock and We Happy Few have in common.
It’s also interesting to note that both games are supposed to take place in hyper-stylized versions of the 1960s with residents that have become addicted to drugs to escape from reality. We Happy Few is also different in itsgorgeous styleas it offers a retrofuturistic depiction of England.
88/10Dishonored
Dishonoredfeels like a real spiritual successor to BioShock. It is not that the stories are similar as Dishonored deals with a vengeance while BioShock deals with unraveling a mystery. Both games do however have elements of one another. They both have themes about what political corruption could do on a single individual level as well as what it could do to a population of people.
The gameplay has some similar aspects, but the movement that Dishonored provides is a lot grander in scope. The gameplay is also a lot more focused on stealth options rather than just being an option.
77/10Prey (2006)
The originalPreyhas a lot going on in terms of its setting. That is where it most closely resembles BioShock as both games have an ambiance that the player is thrown into. Tommy, the main protagonist of Prey gets abducted by aliens. Jack in BioShock survives a plane crash that brings him into rapture. Both are thrown into situations that test them in every direction.
Tommy also has some spiritual powers but nothing as extensive as the Plasmids in BioShock. The game also follows a survival horror-type atmosphere with murderous aliens that are reminiscent of mutant interactions in BioShock.
Dead Spacehas a story that does not share elements with that of BioShock. Where it finds a lot of its similarities are in the survival horror aspects that the game brings along with it. Like in BioShock, the main character starts fairly weak with little ammo and weapons to help them out.
As the game progresses the character starts to become stronger. The survival elements are never taken away from the players in either game. Some of the enemies that players face do get easier to deal with, but the games still manage to create tense situations in their late game.
55/10Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Deus Ex: Human Revolutiontakes place in the deep future whereas BioShock is a game set in the past. Though that is true, Deus Ex: Human Revolution has a lot in common in terms of the gameplay BioShock offers.
The player has Plasmids in BioShock that gives them powers whereas here the player has different augmentations that they can make to their bodies. This game also plays out more like a stealth shooter versus a survival shooter with stealth options. Even then they both manage to create memorable worlds for the players to experience.
44/10Metro: Last Light
BioShock has one of the most engulfing atmospheres in gaming.Metro: Last Lightdoes a great job at immersing players in an atmosphere that takes over their imagination. The story is also on par with that of BioShock.
It’s not that their stories are similar in any way but that they both do a good job at building a world around the player that rewards exploration. The game also features stealth mechanics but offers different options in the way players can choose to take on situations much like BioShock.
33/10The Darkness
The Darknesshas a linear story that is different from that of BioShock. Though it’s different its first act still carries the same power that the first act of BioShock has. The story will have players traversing different worlds and searching to exact revenge. The story is nowhere near as good as BioShock yet still interesting.
The game’s combat is where it’s most similar to BioShock yet also very unique. This game has dual-wielding gun combat. Players also use powers that they gain from the darkness to defeat enemies but these powers have a mind of their own and are a lot more gruesome in their use.
22/10 Infamous
When looking atInfamousit looks like a completely different game from that of BioShock but players who enjoy BioShock would also enjoy Infamous. The plot of the game is intriguing and follows that of learning about a broken political system.
At its center is the protagonist, Cole, who has newfound powers and players get to choose to use those powers for good or Evil. Much like BioShock depending on some of the players' choices there is a possibility for multiple types of endings. It also feels like a mix of a role-playing game and a shooter while never having a player use guns.
11/10 Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2features a story as elaborate as BioShock. The gameplay does not have role-playing game elements to it. Its gameplay features puzzle solving, is predominantly afirst-person shooter, has stealth at times, and includes portions of survival horror.
The game takes you into an Earth that has been completely changed after the events of the first game and because of this, the adventure feels grand. There are elements of mystery in the story, but the main struggle deals with taking back Earth. The setting’s tone is captivating and bound to create countless memorable moments such as BioShock does.
